Volleyball: Dixon grad Taylor Spellman takes over at Genoa-Kingston

GENOA – After two years with Belvidere North as the junior varsity coach, Taylor Spellman was ready for the next challenge.

The 2020 Dixon graduate was named the head coach at Genoa-Kingston, taking over a team that won a Class 2A state championship in 2022, but lost three NCAA Division I level seniors to graduation.

“It’s a change, but I was ready for the change,” Spellman said. “I’m excited to not only create these bonds with these athletes, but see some success come with it as well. Excited but a little nervous. You want to try to please everybody, but you have to be realistic.”

In addition to two-time Daily Chronicle Volleyball Player of the Year Alayna Pierce, all-area first-team selections Alivia Keegan and Hannah Langton also graduated.

Pierce headed to Tennessee Tech to play beach and indoor volleyball, while Keegan headed to Belmont and Langton to Central Michigan.

Spellman takes over for Keith Foster, who took the head coaching job at DeKalb after 13 years in Genoa.

“Taylor was put in a tough situation having to join midsummer and being introduced to a big group of girls,” said setter Mia Wise, one of four seniors on the G-K roster. “But I think she’s been doing really good with it. I think she’s good with communicating with everyone, helping everyone. You can tell she genuinely cares about this program.”

The school board officially approved Spellman in July, but she has been working with the team in an interim capacity since mid-June.

Spellman said she planned on going to a four-year college, but given she graduated in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic she elected to stay local and go to Sauk Valley Community College. She’s currently working on a bachelor’s degree, she said.

After Sauk Valley, she spent two years at Belvidere North as the JV coach. And now she’s coaching Dixon’s Big Northern Conference foes.

“We’ve got some good talent in the gym this year,” Spellman said. “There’s still work to be done, like every other team. But we’re going to be solid. We have a lot of room for improvement, but I’m not upset with the spot we’re in right now.”

Spellman said she’s been impressed by the seniors on the roster. Wise will not only set but attack when she rotates into the front row. Brooklyn Ristau will be a defensive specialist, Ava Hardy will be an attacker on the outside and Addison Vicary will be a strong presence in the middle.

Wise said even with a new group of players, there’s still a lot of talent that has been improving as the summer has gone on.

“We expected some challenges coming in with some new girls being brought up and a new coach,” Ristau said. “I think we’ve gotten progressively better each week, and it’s really shown. We’re coming together as a program even after we started a little scrambled, so it’s looking really good.”

Ristau said getting used to being a senior has been an adjustment but is relishing the new responsibilities.

“I miss my seniors. Trust me, I miss them,” Ristau said. “I would say it’s been an adjustment and you have to have an open mind going into it. Even though my seniors are gone, I’m the upperclassman now. These underclassmen, I played with them before in the gym, and it’s really exciting seeing them excited and eager for the new season.”

The Cogs went 36-2 last year, losing in a sectional semifinal to eventual state runner-up IC Catholic. They’ve gone 108-8 in the past three seasons with three regional crowns and the state title in 2022.

Spellman said she’s optimistic about this season given how much the team has improved in some specific areas since mid-June.

“I’m the first to say I’m a firm believer that communication and energy on our side of the court is what’s going to win us some games,” Spellman said. “Our communication and our energy have improved tremendously along with the skills.

“When you’re excited and having fun on the court, those skills just come with all that excitement that’s on the court.”